It's a look back at the best and worst stories in the NHL for 2008.
When I think I've seen or heard it all regarding hockey I just think back to early September when Slovakia beat Bulgaria, 82-0 in a women's 2010 Olympic qualifying game. True story, 82-0, part of a lost week for Bulgaria which also lost to Italy 40-0, Latvia, 39-0 and Croatia, 30-1 (a little loose in our own end eh Croatia?).
For the record, that's 191 goals allowed in four games, a monumental failure in its own right, but downright horrific when you consider the Bulgarians gave up more goals in four games than the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings did in the entire 82-game regular season last season (184).
Honestly, I didn't think anything could top that for the top story in hockey in 2008 until Monday, when I read that the San Jose Sharks had signed 43-year-old Claude Lemieux to an NHL contract. Is this league really that desperate for talent?
It's been that kind of a year in 2008 in the NHL and with a day to go, who's to say there won't be another can-you-believe-this story before the puck comes down and lights up the 2009 ball. After all, there's still a chance a mixed martial arts fighter could be voted top Canadian Athlete of the Year on a major sports website.
What's that, George St. Pierre? Who did what?
Thank goodness this is a hockey column so let's move on.
Longest Running Story of the Year: What else, the Mats Sundin saga. It started in February when he declined to waive his no-trade clause, went through the entire offseason with a will-he-won't-he tease about even wanting to play again then peaked in December when he finally acknowledged he did indeed intend to be a rental player and, eventually, signed with the Vancouver Canucks when pretty much all the hockey world figured he would head to New York. The most amazing thing about this story, other than the number of words his agent, J.P. Barrie, uttered in Sundin updates and Sundin's defence is that the story still isn't over.
Sundin still hasn't dressed for the Canucks and though he's expected to skate with them this week, if he doesn't get into a game before the corks pop at midnight on the 31st, he officially qualifies for next year's Longest Running Story of the Year.
Strangest Story of the Year: Commissioner Gary Bettman claims all is well on hockey's financial ship of state. Now we are not inclined to question every single statement the Commissioner makes and for the record we agreed when he said the Outdoor Classic in Buffalo was an unqualified success and that - in regards to Sean Avery - that playing in the NHL is a privilege not a right - the Commissioner was correct even if you accept the argument that you will hear much worse the closer you sit to the ice - but we are skeptical that all is well in the NHL, especially when we read this week that the Phoenix Coyotes are reported to be desperately seeking an NHL life boat and that Tampa Bay and several other teams are facing such dire financial straits that they make William "Boots" Del Biaggio look like Warren Buffett.
This is nothing new for the Commissioner, a man who is quite willing to tell you the hard-won Collective Bargaining Agreement is working, despite the fact that many owners are screaming behind closed doors that the ceiling is too high, the floor is to high, the revenue sharing agreement has allowed teams to collect cash for being mediocre and that the failure to address the issue of guaranteed contracts has set the table for yet another lockout when this agreement either runs its course or is terminated by the Players Association (a scenario not nearly as unlikely as it was just a month ago). Oh, and did we mention it appears the bottom is falling out of artificially pumped up franchise values (thought by many, myself included to be the real reason for locking the players out and getting so-called game-saving financial measures in place).
All is well in the NHL? It's like saying "Harper Wins" after a national election.
Feel Good Story of the Year: The revival of the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins. You could see this coming especially after Rick Dudley joined the hockey department in Chicago and Craig Ramsay joined the coaching staff in Boston. Both men are among the very best at turning up talent (Dudley) and getting teams to play better (Ramsay), but that said, it's still a good thing for hockey to have two of the dormant franchises which trace their history back to the Original Six, having successful seasons.
Feel Good Story No. 2: The storied Detroit Red Wings vs. the brash young Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup final. Not all of the games were classic, but the series was fun to watch and built in intensity to the point that it made a case for an improved style of play in the NHL a part of which was due to new rules.
Best Ending to a Long Running Mess: The Toronto Maple Leafs identified a need (general manager), hired a person (Gordon Kirke) to address it and then went out and got Brian Burke to run their hockey department. That might not sound like much if you live in a market that has a well-run organization, but by Leafs standards, this was akin to the miracle of the loaves and fishes or seeing an anti-fighting advocate on Hockey Night in Canada. No guarantees Burke wins a Stanley Cup, but no question this was an unprecedented change regarding the way the Leafs do their on-ice hockey business.
Single Best Performance of the Year: It's difficult to make this kind of call when the season overlaps the calendar year, but our pick is Alex Ovechkin's drive to carry the Washington Capitals to the playoffs. Sure it was a team effort, but Ovechkin, en route to winning all of the league's noteworthy awards for a forward, pretty much straightened his back and invited the rest of the team to jump on it. The result was a stunning performance en route to a final-day win that not only saw the team make the playoffs, but run down the division-leading Carolina Hurricane to win the division title and knock the 'Canes out of the playoffs in the process. Impressive!
Runner Up: Evgeni Malkin did more than the more highly-touted (and oft-injured) Sidney Crosby to get the Penguins to another level and hasn't looked back. We haven't seen a one-two tandem like this (and you can debate which is No.1) since the days when Wayne Gretzky and Jarri Kurri roamed the ice together. A joy to watch!
Single Worst Performance of the Year: The NHL backing away from stiff penalties for hitting from behind.
Runner Up: Sean Avery. Pick your outrage.
Atta Boy We're Proud of You Award: goes to Tim Thomas, goaltender of the Boston Bruins who after years of languishing in the minors broke through to All-Star Game status with a solid and consistent performance in net.
Runner Up: OK, you're likely all expecting Bruce Boudreau of the Capitals and he's a worthy contender, but our nod goes to Nashville coach Barry Trotz who guided his team to the postseason despite losing six of his best players in a financial selloff (tell us again how that CBA thing is going Gary).
Most Surprising On-Ice Development: the rapid rise of fighting and power-play efficiency though the two are not related.
Least Surprising On-Ice Development: The utter failure of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Most Surprising Off-Ice Development: The relative silence from Jim Balsillie and company regards rocking the NHL's stance against another team in Southern Ontario.
Least Surprising Off-Ice Development: The utter failure of the Tampa Bay Lightning ownership and hockey operations department.
Question of the Year: Who offended hockey fans the most in 2008; Dallas Stars forward Sean Avery and his "sloppy seconds" remark or golfer Tiger Woods when asked during the Detroit-Pittsburgh Stanley Cup final which team would win said: "I don't really care... I don't think anyone really watches hockey anymore.?"
Both were trying to make a point, but the sad part is Woods said what he believed to be true.
Even the Bulgarian women's team never had to face a shot like that.